Category: Uncategorized

“Life goes on… “

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I have been living and working in Mumbai for more than five years now. While Mumbai may not be one of the greenest or cleanest city in the world, there is something in the spirit of Mumbai, which touches your heart every day.

The first and foremost attribute of the Mumbai spirit is the professionalism displayed by almost everyone living in this city. When it rains in Mumbai, it really pours. One day of heavy rain and it impacts the suburban rail system, the buses, cabs and almost all modes of transport. The city is sometimes paralysed. However, I have never seen my maid at home or my driver give me an excuse of rains and hence their inability to report for work. Work is worship and “Life goes on… ” irrespective of rain, sun or wind. People find their way. They may have to take a train, then a cab and a bus and may travel more than 40 Kms one way but they never have an excuse not ato discharge their duties conscientiously.

The second attribute of Mumbai, which I adore is the ability to bounce back. The city witnessed one of the world’s dastardly terror attack in November 2008 but it bounced back within days to normalcy. Subsequently, I have myself witnessed a few terror attacks in Zaveri bazaar, Dadar and other places but this does not lower the spirit of the common man here to bounce back and get back to his work. The city saw one of the worst floods in 2005 but it took just days to bounce back. I have lived across India but have not seen such a spirit anywhere else.

The third quality of this city is the co-existence of the rich and the poor with equal respect and space. The city is the host to some of the richest people in the world and they live in skyscrapers and own some of the costliest homes themselves. Next to these mansions are the slums, where the common Mumbaikars may be residing. Everyone is happy and content with what they have. There is no artificial attempt to show off their richness or hide their poverty. You cannot make out by the life style of anyone if she is rich or poor.

It is these attributes of Mumbai, which we can be proud of.

“Life goes on”,come what may.  This has a lesson for each one of us to never give an excuse for anything, bounce back and be content with what you have in life.

My salutations  to the spirit of Mumbai and to her citizens.

S Ramesh Shankar

Gratitude

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Our pet “Sandy”

An ability to repay a non monetary debt would be “Gratitude” in my books. There are many incidents in our lives, where parents, friends and relatives come to our rescue, when we are in trouble. They bail us out without expecting anything in return. We feel good to come out of a difficulty but sooner than later forget that someone had helped us, when we needed it most.

I have many instances in my life, where I have benefited from such acts of generosity from my friends, family and relatives. My wife once told me that one of her relatives helped her fund her higher education when she was a child. As she grew up, this could have easily been forgotten as her relative was well off and did not bother that he helped her. But, she remembers this act of kindness throughout her life and is grateful for the same even today. Today, when God has helped us meet all our material needs in life, she has always insisted that we should support some needy children in their education as her sense of gratitude to someone who helped her. Even today after more than three decades, she bows in reverence to the relative who helped her.

I have another personal experience in my own life. My father was admitted in hospital and was serious and in an intensive care unit. I had just started my career and I was short of financial resources to support my father’s treatment. At this critical juncture, when some of my close people around me did not help me, here was a relative and friend, who went out of the way to financially support me, without expecting anything in return. I am indebted to them throughout my life. Today, I look at opportunities of how I could help them and others in distress as this act of support can never be measured in monetary terms or repaid. Today, even if I am in a position to repay them financially with all the interest till date, I will fail in my duties if I am not grateful to them for the rest of my life for their act of kindness.

I should say that even animals teach us to be grateful to others. I had a Labrador at home some years back. Her name was Sandy. I recall many days in my life when I was on tour, she would not eat or sleep till my wife and kids ate and slept. She was grateful to them since they had reared her during her younger days and taken care of her for all her needs. Her sense of gratitude sometimes put us to shame when we realised that we were more selfish then even animals as greedy human beings.

It is the sense of gratitude, which grounds you and makes you realize that money cannot buy everything in life and if you forget to repay your non monetary debts, it is you , who lose not the lenders.

Shall we commit to be grateful in life ?

S Ramesh Shankar

Time stands still – relationships last forever


It was 35 years back , we passed out from a post graduate college in Chennai and last weekend 9 of a class of 48 met again to re live the memories of our college life.  It was as if time had frozen and we had just met at college during a break.  The memories were sharp and the relationship spontaneous.  Many of us had grey hair and may be receding hairlines but the emotions were strong as it were three and a half decades back.

We could share our stories with ease.  We could pull each other’s leg as we did in college.  We could laugh at each other and even at ourselves.  While the spirits were flowing down the throat and the smoke entering the nostrils, the human spirit was unrelenting.  Our love and affection for each other was expressed in words and deeds right through the two days we spent together.

I sometimes wonder as to why we do not meet more often.  I also wonder as to how two years of study in a college more than three decades back still keeps us close as friends.  We have treaded different paths in our professional career but the admiration for each other remains the same.  We may have grown personally and professionally but the child within us remains strong and enthusiastic.

I loved the child in me, which sprung up in these two days.  I wonder if we could keep the child alive in us every day we live.  In our day to day life, we pose as adults and do not share our emotions with others.  We refuse to laugh and we are afraid to cry to share grief.  It is such moments in our life, which make us believe that time may stand still if we want it to.  Relationships will last for ever where there is genuine love and care of reach other without any expectations in return.

I sometimes feel guilty as to why I am reluctant to spend more time with friends and family and share my feelings and joy with them.  It took us 35 years and we could meet only twice during this period.  What prevents us from meeting more often.  What prevents us from sharing our genuine feelings for one another.  What can be more joyful than sharing moment of joy with people who care for you.

It was indeed a great insight for me – I commit to spend more time with my family and friends.  It is worth spending physical time together reliving the glorious past, sharing the joys of the present and dreaming for a brighter future.  I realize that the more we share the more we rejoice.

Interestingly, as we departed on the  last day, we agreed that we should meet more often and we will make it happen.  Life is short and it is up to us to make it sweet.  Material wealth is mortal and relationships are immortal. We generally end up spending more time in managing our wealth than in enriching our relationships.

It is time to reflect and rededicate ourselves to our family and friends.

S Ramesh Shankar